


Set Me Free

by IAmWorriedAboutDean



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Eventual Sex, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Roommates, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 07:08:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5819032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmWorriedAboutDean/pseuds/IAmWorriedAboutDean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean hides under layers of clothing, hiding scars of past tragedy that mark his body. <br/>When his roommate graduates early, Dean is forced to room with the extremely attractive Castiel Novak. The friendship that develops will give Dean an opportunity to open himself up, and perhaps, trust again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Set Me Free

Winter hit Chicago like a cannonball. The wind from the lake made any potentially sunny day turn into a stormy blizzard. The air would find its way through your clothes and into your bones and the only real way to warm up was to turn the dorm heaters up the max and drink hot coffee or tea or chocolate until you stopped feeling like the center of you was made of an ice cube. 

It was probably weird that Dean liked the winter, especially when it was cold and dreary like this. But he liked the way the sky looked; he liked the snow; he loved Lake Michigan. Most of all he liked that he was allowed to bundle up. It was perfectly acceptable to be covered from the very top of your head all the way down to your feet in this type of weather. When Dean was covered up, when people couldn’t see him so easily, he felt better; he felt safe. He’d trudge across campus with the rest of the students, but unlike those who’d begin to peel off layers of coats and scarves as soon as they were safe inside, Dean would stay covered up. He used the “it’s easier to stay warm than to get warm” excuse anytime anyone asked him why he kept all of his clothes on. Most people just thought he was weird, which, he supposed, wasn’t untrue.

Dean’s roommate was Ash. Ash was a smarter than anyone Dean had ever known, but he was a hermit, never left the room so it was hard to get personal space, which sometimes Dean craved. Even so, Dean didn’t really mind Ash. He kept to himself and his computer and didn’t ask Dean questions about his ‘habits’. But he was too smart and he was leaving.

Ash had broken the university record for graduation time. He’d finished in a year and a half. Dean was pretty sure that it was probably a national record too, but Ash didn’t give a shit. He just wanted to get out of Chicago and away from, in his words, “some bullshit school that’s always telling me what to fucking do.”

Dean and Ash had been assigned to each other freshman year, and, as both of them were societal enigmas and didn’t have very many friends, they’d decided to room sophomore year as well. But now Ash was leaving and Dean had to find someone else to room with for second semester. The college had offered his to choose his own roommate but he literally didn’t have anyone to room with so they’d be assigning him one again.

Winter break came and went and the weather only got colder. Dean went to the Harvelle’s and helped out at the Roadhouse when there was a holiday rush. He spent Christmas and New Years with Ellen and Jo. Afterwards he went back to school, ready to meet the new person he’d be sharing with.

It was Castiel. Castiel Fucking Novak.

Castiel Novak had been in Dean’s freshman English class. All the silly sorority girls had flirted and flounced their way into his discussion groups and he hadn’t even given them a second glance. He had dark hair that always stuck straight up, and his dark blue eyes sparkled, but he was distant and brooding. The few times he ever spoke was to argue with the professor about the language rules, citing specific passages from Bradbury and Vonnegut which made Dean feel like his head might explode and his heart squeezed so tight he could barely move. But he hardly ever talked to the professor, and almost never to one of his fellow students.

That, Dean supposed, was the only reason being roommates with Castiel wouldn’t be too bad. Dean promised himself that he would be able to handle Castiel’s eyes and his face and his fucking lips. At least Dean didn’t talk too much. It wouldn’t be that bad, Dean told himself. They could just ignore each other, the way he and Ash kind of had.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Castiel hardly had anything. A couple pairs of jeans, some shirts, a sweater, two pairs of boots, boxers (obviously) and socks. That was it. He didn’t even have a proper coat. Dean had realized Castiel didn’t wear warm things but he’d always assumed it was because Castiel didn’t want to look ‘uncool’ the way some people thought that dressing for the weather made them, but he’d never suspected that it was because Castiel didn’t actually  _ have _ warm clothes. 

Dean, liking things clean and in order, had cleaned Ash’s (Castiel’s) side of the room after Ash had moved out. It was perfectly empty and spotless. The walls didn’t have anything on them after Ash had taken down his western and bar posters. They were bare. Dean had assumed that the person who moved in would have something to put on them, but clothes and school supplies seemed to be the only thing Cas carried. In fact, he only carried one old green duffle and a backpack into the room.

It took Cas a total of five minutes to put his clothes in the dresser and sort out his supplies into the desk. Dean sat on the bottom bunk watching him. He was quite aware it was rude to stare but Cas was defying Dean’s expectations and it was messing with his head.

“It’s cold in here,” Cas said leaning against the desk, facing Dean.

“Oh, um, yes,” Dean stumbled. “I like to wear layers so…”

“Oh, okay, me too.” Cas smiled friendly-like at Dean.

Dean tilted his head and squinted his eyes at Cas.

“What?” Cas asked, still smiling.

“Nothing, it’s just- nevermind. You can adjust the temperature if you want.”

“Nah, this is fine.”

“Oh, um… okay.” Dean’s whole body felt a little rigid. He didn’t think he’d held a conversation with anyone other than a professor for this long in a long time.

Castiel smiled at him again, “So Dean?”

“Hm?”

“What’s your major?”

“Oh, um, I-, um.”

Castiel chuckled, “one of those huh?”

“What? No, I’m an uh, postmodernist studies major.”

“That’s a thing?”

“I don’t know.” Dean was uncomfortable, but not with Cas. It was more like he was uncomfortable with the fact that he didn’t feel uncomfortable, which made him feel crazy.

Cas, to Dean’s incredulity, laughed. It was contagious and Dean felt himself smile uncontrollably.

 

“I’m a marketing major.” 

 

“Marketing?” That was weird. Dean would not have guessed that. 

 

“What?” Cas said, obviously misunderstanding Dean’s question.

 

“No, it’s just I pegged you as more of an English major. You know? Last year, you loved Vonnegut so much.” 

 

Cas laughed again, “Yeah we had comp together.”

 

“You remember?”

 

“Of course, you were the only person in that class I could actually stand.” 

 

Dean felt his chest constrict in a familiar way. He pushed it down, almost physically with his mind, took a deep breath and tried to forget about the way Cas’s mouth curled up at the “E” in Dean. “Oh, uh, yeah, I-”

 

Castiel laughed again, “so are you a top or are you a bottom?”

 

There was absolutely no way Dean had heard that correctly. “What!?”

 

“The bunkbeds? You on top or bottom?”

 

“Oh… I thought you meant-”

 

“What?”

 

“Nevermind. Bottom.” 

 

Cas smiled and Dean could have sworn that it was to himself about Dean. Dean tried to get that thought out of his head, “Do you have, um, sheets and stuff?”

 

“Nah, I have to go get some.” 

 

“Ok, um-”

 

“So, I’ll be going.” Castiel walked toward the door. “I’ll see you later.”

 

“Yeah, okay. Bye.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It worked better than Dean expected, honestly. Cas actually talked to him, and made an obvious effort to, which made Dean feel good. In fact Cas talked to Dean more than anyone else. They started eating lunch together on accident. They hadn’t planned to be in the cafeteria at the same time but as they were, and really neither of them wanted to sit with anyone else, they sat together. And they talked. About politics and sports and cars that Dean had fixed up when he was younger, about stupid questions asked in their classes and their future plans. Dean stopped caring about being in the dorm room with Cas. No he didn’t have personal space really, but he honestly liked spending time with him, and that scared him almost as much as it made him feel better about being in college. 

 

It was a Friday night, about mid-semester. Neither Cas nor Dean wanted to go out with the other sophomores, parting and the like, so they had both stayed in. In addition, neither of them had brought a TV, so they were sitting on the floor, with Dean leaning against the bed and Cas against the desk, playing cards. It was simple crazy eights so they were talking while they were playing when suddenly Cas said: 

 

“Why do you wear so much clothes?”

 

It honestly took Dean by surprise because usually it was one of the first things people asked him, and if they hadn’t asked him by now, he assumed they wouldn’t. 

 

“I mean,” Cas said, “it’s fine, of course. I was just thinking, you know, since we’re friends now you’d tell me.” 

 

“I…” Dean couldn’t help but default, “I like to stay warm.” 

 

Cas raised an eyebrow, “Come on, really? Turn on the heater. Really though, Dean… tell me.” 

 

Dean sighed. Cas was right, they were friends. “Alright, I’ll show you.” Cas’s face clouded over with confusion, but Dean stood up and started to peel off the layers. 

 

He took off his hat first. There was nothing on his head but he liked the feeling of protection that the hat gave him when he had his head covered. Then he pulled off his sweater, underneath which was a long-sleeve shirt. He unbuttoned that, revealing the t-shirt underneath, and slid it off so that Cas could see his arms. 

 

People usually had one of two reactions: pity or disgust. Cas’s face didn’t reveal anything. He just sat there on the floor, looking up at Dean arms, where the skin rippled and bubbled like tormented fabric. Hair didn’t grow and it was stuck white, like thick paper. Sometimes the skin tightened so much that he didn’t have full range of motion. 

 

“What happened?” Cas asked, face still expressionless.

 

“I was in a fire,” Dean said, “when I was about nine. I got third degree burns to my arms, chest, back and legs. People ask questions. After a while it was easier just to… cover it.” 

 

“Can’t you just tell them you were in a fire?” Cas asked. 

 

“I… I don’t really like to talk about it,” Dean turned away from Cas and dug around in the first drawer of the dresser by the beds. He pulled out a framed photograph and handed it to Cas.

 

It was a picture of a family. The mother was stuffed into the lower left hand corner and she had her arms wrapped around a baby. Behind her was a man and next to her was a young boy. In the background there was a corner of a house, just out of view, and a tree next to it. Dean sat down next to him.

 

“I was with my mom, in the basement. I can’t remember what we were doing, looking for something probably, but then… we heard Dad shout. Couldn’t make it out so she told me to go up the stairs and open the door and call back to him, figure out what he needed you know. He was with Sammy upstairs, in the nursery. I went up stairs and I had just turned to ask her a question while I was opening the door and this wave of heat hit me on my left side. It knocked me down the stairs. I fell and she ran to me but the fire was coming down the stairs so fast. It was everywhere, fire can spread so fast. And I couldn’t feel anything because I was burned on my side and I was in shock. She was screaming but I couldn’t even hear her. Then she just picked me up, and hell, I was a big nine year old. She protected my head with her body and just ran. Up the stairs and out I guess. I don’t really remember after that. I got more burned from the way out but the fire didn’t reach my head, she didn’t let it. She was burned so bad, she went into a coma for a few days. Dad and Sammy, they… they didn’t make it.” Dean swallowed back the tears and looked over at Cas who was still staring at the photo.

 

“Your mom, did she-?” 

 

“She was in the hospital for four months, but yeah, she made it. She was, well, one hell of a woman. Her baby and her husband died and she just kept on grinding. Got me through high school, met a guy, a nice guy named Bobby. They died in a car accident a few years ago. Since then, I’ve pretty much been on my own.” 

 

“Shit,” Cas said, finally looking at Dean. He was sad, but not pitying. More… understanding. “That's terrible. I’m so sorry.”

 

“Yeah, it was really hard for a while. I dropped out of school and-” 

 

“You dropped out of school?”

 

“Yeah, for a few months. That’s why I’m a year behind. You didn’t know that?”

 

“I didn’t know you were a year behind. I thought you were my age.” 

 

“Nope. This was supposed to be my junior year, but like I said, dropped out for a little while. Bobby’s sister, Ellen, she reached out to me. Got me back on my feet.” 

 

“That’s nice.” 

 

“Yeah, she and her daughter, Jo, are the closest thing I have to family now. Ellen’s great, and Jo, well I think she may have a crush on me but she’s like a little sister. Well, not  _ little _ little sister. She’s about eighteen now.” 

 

Castiel chuckled, “sounds cute.” 

 

Dean let himself smile, “she’s great actually. Her dad, Ellen’s husband, died when Jo was about twelve so, I don’t know, we understand each other I guess.” 

 

“That makes sense,” Cas said, nodding. 

 

“What about you, Cas? You go any family stories? Or lack thereof?” 

 

Cas chuckled, “I guess. My mom died shortly after I was born. I don’t remember her at all. Dad wasn’t around much. Just sent money and stuff to my oldest brother. My brothers basically raised me because I’m the youngest. Michael was kind of the head of the household.” Cas laughed, “actually I suppose you could say that he was the Father and Gabriel was the Mother. They bickered and stuff but they loved each other and kept us together. Michael’s a lawyer for some huge firm or something now. Gabriel’s a neurosurgeon.” 

 

“Look at us,” Dean said, “a couple of parentless freaks.” 

 

“Less freaks, more pariahs.”

 

“Whatever marketing major.” 

 

“Don’t make fun of me because I have a big vocabulary.” 

 

“Cas if I can’t make fun of you for that, what can I make fun of you for?”

 

“My devilish good looks?” Cas wiggled his eyebrows at Dean.

 

“Shut up!” Dean punched his arm softly. 

 

Cas’s face returned to being serious. “Do the scars cover your chest?” He motioned to Dean’s bare arms. 

 

“Um, kind of.” Dean leaned forward, grabbed the back of his t-shirt and yanked it off over his head. He sat back against the desk so that Cas could see his chest. From his collarbone down, his skin was patched, looking almost like a rain cloud with misshapen raindrops. His upper chest was almost completely make of the leathery white skin. As you moved down his torso, however, the patches of scarred skin dispersed until, around his bellybutton, they disappeared and were replaced by smooth, colored skin. “It starts up again around my knees,” Dean said. 

 

“So your mom protected both your heads,” Cas said, laughing and poking Dean on the arm. 

 

“That would be funny if it wasn’t true,” Dean said seriously.  

 

“Yeah, sorry.” 

 

“That’s okay. You were just trying to brighten up the mood.” 

 

“Yeah… but listen though, you are my best friend Dean, seriously.” Dean’s head started to get fuzzy and his heart started to beat loudly. Cas continued, “if you ever need to talk, about anything, I’m here.” 

 

“Thanks Cas.”

 

“No, I mean it.”

 

“I know you do.” 

 

“And you can walk around here naked for all I care.”

 

Dean chuckled, “okay.” 

 

“And really, Dean. Anything, okay?” 

 

“Okay. You too, you know? We’re in this together.” 

 

“Yeah,” Cas said, smiling. “We are.” He wrapped an arm around Dean’s bare shoulders and pulled him close. 

 

Dean leaned his head against Cas’s shoulder and smiled. 

 

“Okay,” Cas said breaking the silence. His voice was full of emotion but Dean couldn’t pinpoint the right words to describe it. “Let’s get back to me wiping your ass at crazy eights.”

 

Dean laughed and scooted over back to his side of the room. It was about midnight when Dean remembered he forgot to put his shirt back on. 

\----------------------------------------------------------

They were walking across campus. Cas was wearing a t-shirt but Dean still had on his trusty sweater. It wasn't really warm yet but compared to the winter they'd had, it felt like 80°. Classes would be ending soon. 

 

“Do you want to get an apartment off campus next semester or do you want to stay on campus again?” Cas asked. 

 

Dean loved the fact that Cas hadn't felt the need to ask Dean if he wanted to live together next year,he just knew. “I have to stay on campus because my financial aid covers school housing.”

 

“Oh right yeah.”

 

“But the University has some apartments right? We could try for those? I'm pretty done with sleeping in a bunk bed and sharing a bathroom with an entire floor of guys.”

 

“That's a great idea. We could have a kitchen too.”

 

“Yeah, I could make pie!”

 

“No more dorm food? 

 

“Yes!”

 

“Cas!” It came from behind them. Cad turned around to see who said his name and there was a redhead rushing across the grass toward them. 

 

“Oh hey Charlie!” Cas said, stopping so she could catch up. “What's up?”

 

“Just got out of bio. Going to get lunch, is that where you're going?”

 

“Yeah, you should come with us. Um, this is Dean.” Cas motioned toward Dean standing next to him. “Dean this is Charlie, she's in my computer science class.”

 

“Nice to meet you,” Charlie said, sticking out a hand. 

 

Dean shook it, “nice to meet you too.”

 

Charlie walked next to Dean as they made their way toward the student union. “Cas has told me a lot about you. You guys are roommates right?”

 

“Um, yeah.” Dean was feeling his all too familiar feelings of discomfort again. He was territorial, and he knew it. He knew Cas had other friends, other people he hung out with in classes but they always ate lunch together, just the two of them. This girl, it made Dean's stomach feel upset. He was sure she was nice but…  did Cas like her? He had never introduced Dean to anyone before, granted she had kind of snuck up on them but now her and Cas were having a conversation about their class together and Cas was laughing that way that he laughed only around Dean. The laugh Dean had though was reserved just for him. 

 

She was nice, Dean had to give her that. She made an effort to bring him into the conversation over lunch and they even broke away from Cas for a second to discuss Star Wars, which Dean found out cad had never seen. She was a total nerd, which honestly, Dean found himself liking. 

 

“So what are you guys doing this weekend?” Charlie asked toward the end of lunch. 

 

“We don't usually have plans. We just hang out in the room,” Cas said. 

 

“You should come over! We have a TV and I have the three original Star Wars movies! We could watch them all!”

 

“One, two and three or four, five and six?” Dean asked. 

 

“Four, five and six. We could introduce it to Cas!” She punched his shoulder in excitement and he had to smile at her.

 

“Won't your roommate mind?”

 

“Bella? No. That girl lives at the frat house on the weekends. I'm telling you! If she hasn't contracted some kind of STD by now, I'd be surprised.”

 

“Why do you room with her then?” Dean asked. 

 

“She's basically never there, so it's like I have the room to myself. It's super nice.”

 

Dean nodded but Cas hit him. “What?”

 

“Don't nod like you understand her pain! You don't need a room all to yourself!”

 

“Touchy aren't we?!” Dean said, laughing. “I like rooming with you, Cas, don't worry.”

 

“Aw!” Charlie said, “you guys are cute!”

\------

“Do you want to go?” Cas asked Dean later. Cas was laying on Dean's bed, reading a textbook while Dean was sitting at his desk, working on a paper. 

 

“To what?” Dean asked, though he knew what Cas was talking about. 

 

“To Charlie’s on Friday.”

 

“Oh, yeah I guess it could be fun.”

 

“You don't sound too cracked up about it.”

 

“I'm just tired. But yeah you should see Star Wars.”

 

“Charlie is pretty cool. What did you think?”

 

“She seems nice.”

 

“Yeah… are you okay Dean? You seem a little… I don't know.” 

 

“I'm alright Cas. Like I said, I'm tired.”

 

“Right,” Cas said, turning his attention neck to his homework. 

\-----------

Cas was woken up by a loud noise. It reverberated through him and made his bones clatter. It was a terrible way to be woke up in the middle of the night. 

 

_ What is that?  _ He thought. The light above the door was flashing. He'd never even noticed the light above the door before. There was just the fire alarm up there right?  _ Holy shit the fire alarm! _

 

Can flung himself out of bed and basically fell down the ladder onto the floor. Dean was sitting up in bed but his eyes were glassy and unfocused.  _ He's in shock. _

 

“Dean! DEAN!”

 

The faraway look in Dean's eyes disappeared and was replaced by sheer terror. “Cas,” he sounded helpless as he clutched Cas’s pajama t-shirt. 

 

“Dean, it's going to be okay. It's probably just a false alarm.”

 

“There's a fire.”

 

“Probably not,” Cas said. He threw a sweater over Dean's head and rifled through Dean's underwear drawer to find the picture of his mom and family. “Come on.” Cas wrapped his arm around Dean and felt that he was shaking. Putting his arm under Dean's arms so that he could support some of his weight, Cas led Dean out of the room into the hallway, down the stairs and out the emergency exit in the stairwell. As they joined the other droopy students on the lawn, Dean was still shaking. “Hey,” Cas said. “We're okay. Look, ” he handed Dean the photo of his family. “We're safe.”

 

Dean stared at the picture and huddled close to Cas. “Right,” Cas heard him whisper. “We're safe.”

 

“Everything is going to be okay.”

 

Dean repeated him, nodding. “Thanks Cas.” He was still shaking, but not as violently now. 

 

A little while later, campus security decided that someone had burned a pop tart in the toaster in the common room and everyone was allowed back in. 

 

Dean put the photo back into his dresser and sat on his bed. Cas at next to him. 

 

“Thanks Cas.”

 

“Of course Dean.” Cas wound his arm around Dean's shoulders. “We should get some sleep.”

 

“... yeah.” 

 

“You going to be okay?”

 

“I’m fine Cas. Let’s go back to bed.” 

 

“Alright.” Reluctantly, Cas climbed up to the top bunk. 

 

Both of them stayed awake for a while. They listened to each other’s forced even breathing, both thinking that the other one had fallen back asleep. 

\-------------------------

Dean couldn’t keep his eyes open. Granted, he fucking loved Star Wars, but he was so tired, and Charlie’s room was very warm, and he didn’t want to take his sweater off. Sitting on Charlie’s bed, he felt fuzzy and disconnected, as if he was on a cloud. 

 

Charlie had made popcorn and he could hear her chewing from where she was spread out on Bella’s bed across the room. Cas was laying on some pillows on the floor, munching away as well. Dean had a bowl in his lap but he had forgotten about it. They weren’t even halfway through the first (well, fourth) movie yet, but he was already drifting off. 

 

“Is he asleep?” Dean heard Charlie ask from somewhere in the distance. 

 

Cas’s low voice replied quietly, “we were up the other night because of that fucking fire alarm. He’s just tired.”

 

“Oh yeah! I heard about that! That’s awful.” 

 

“Yeah it was fucking terrible.” 

 

“Dean,” Charlie’s soft voice said. Dean felt her put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Dean.” 

 

Dean sleepily blinked open his eyes.

 

“Do you want to get into my bed? I don’t mind.” 

 

“What? … No, I’m fine.”

 

“It’s okay if you want to get under the covers.” 

 

“No, I’m awake,” Dean was still trying to blink his eyes into focus.

 

“Dean, no you’re not,” Charlie said, laughing softly. “At least lay down.” She pushed him gently backward so that his head was on her pillow. He sleepily complied. 

\-------------

“How’d you like Star Wars?” Dean asked Cas while they were eating lunch the next day.

 

“It was okay.” 

 

“Okay!? That’s it??”

 

“Yeah, you have a lot of room to talk. You fell asleep.” 

 

“I’ve seen it like a hundred times, and I haven’t been sleeping very well.” 

 

“Yeah, I know.” 

 

“You know? Why do you  _ know _ ?”

 

“I don’t know. I worry about you.”

 

“Jesus Cas, I’m not a baby.”

 

“I know! But, like you said remember, we’re in this together.” 

 

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.”

 

“I forgive you.” Cas smiled at him and Dean’s heart melted a little. “So, do you like Charlie?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why what?”

 

“You keep asking me that. Why does it matter if I like her?” Dean said, pushing his food around his plate. 

 

“I don’t know! You’re my friend, she’s my friend. I want you guys to like each other.” 

 

“She’s fine.” 

 

“Okay Dean, seriously, why don’t you like her?”

 

“I like her. She’s funny and nice and nerdy. I like her just fine.” 

 

“Okay, then what’s your problem?”

 

“I don’t have a problem Cas.” 

 

“Right.” 

 

They sat in silence for a second before Dean decided to just fucking say what he was thinking. “I just don’t really like third wheeling that’s all.”

 

“Third wheeling?” Cas asked, surprised. 

 

“Yeah, third wheeling. You know what that is right?”

 

“Yes Dean, I fucking know what third wheeling is. Why do you feel like you’re third wheeling?”

 

“Oh, come on Cas! I’m not fucking blind! You guys are cute together. Cudos.”

 

“Are you joking?”

 

“Does it look like I’m joking Cas?”

 

“Okay Dean,” Cas said seriously, putting his silverware down. “One, no, because she’s a lesbian. Two, no, because I’m gay. And three, no, because no! No, no, no.”

 

“Wait what?”

 

“I’m not dating her. Why did you think that?”

 

“You’re gay?”

 

“Yeah. Is that a problem?”

 

“What? No! I just didn’t know!”

 

“Yeah, well sometimes I forget to tell people.”

 

“Seems like a weird thing to never tell your best friend.” 

 

“Really? You’re going to get mad at me because I didn’t tell you I was gay when you just got mad at me because you thought I was dating a girl I thought you’d want to be friends with?”

 

“How- I-... nevermind.” 

 

“Now, will you fucking like her now?”

 

“Yes, I’m sorry. She’s awesome. I love her!”

 

“Good,” Cas said, then he smiled at Dean. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Dean said again. 

 

“It’s fine. Sorry I didn’t tell you I was gay.” 

 

“Well, I’m bi and I guess I never told you that so I can’t get too mad.”

 

“There you go.” 

 

“Changing the topic,” Dean said. “I looked into getting an apartment next semester, but you need at least three people.”

 

“Bollocks.” 

 

“Did you just say ‘bollocks’?”

 

“Shut up!”

 

“I have an idea though.” 

 

“What?” Cas asked.

 

“Well… we could ask Charlie…”

 

“Dean?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Fuck you.” 

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing, just, you’re an assbutt.”

 

“I’m a what?!”

 

“Nevermind.”

 

“Did you just call me an assbutt?”

 

“Nevermind! That’s a great idea. I’ll ask her in class on Monday.” 

 

“Assbutt?”

 

“Forget about assbutt!”

 

“Doesn’t that kind of cancel itself out? You know ass and butt. Kind of the same thing.” 

 

“Shut up!” Cas jumped up, grabbed his dishes and headed for the door. He was smiling though. 

 

Dean followed suit, saying, “that’s like saying dickcock or something.” 

 

“Fuck you, Dean.” 

 

“Or fagfairy.”

 

Cas stopped short and turned around. “Really Dean? I come out to you and you say fagfairy?” 

 

“Okay, you ‘came out’ to me like five minutes ago and I was suggesting that, not calling you it.”

 

“Whatever. Assbutt.” Cas was laughing.

 

“Stop calling me an assbutt!”

 

“Assbutt!” 

 

“I fucking hate you!” 

 

“Yeah, well, you’re an assbutt.”

 

“Shut up about fucking assbutts!” 

 

“Assbutt.” 

 

“Oh, my god!!” Dean threw his dishes onto the conveyor and ran out of the student union. 

 

“Dean,” Cas said, following him. “What’s wrong with assbutts?”

 

“OH. MY. GOD. Stop Cas!” Dean was laughing so hard he could barely walk.

 

“What?! It’s not false! You are an assbutt.” 

 

“Cas! Stop!” Dean leaned over, putting a hand on his stomach. His abs ached. 

 

Cas stopped next to him, laughing. 

 

“I hate you,” Dean said.

 

“No you don’t,” Cas replied. 

 

“What’s up, bitches?” Charlie walked up behind them. 

 

Cas smiled at her, “Dean called me a fagfairy.”

 

“No I did not! I would not call someone that! He’s the one calling me an assbutt.”

 

“Okay, whatever,” Charlie said. “I’m going to go eat.”

 

“Oh, Charlie?” Dean said. “Cas and I were wondering if you wanted to share an apartment in the fall?”

 

Charlie’s face lit up, “Seriously?! Yeah!”

 

Cas smiled and put a hand on Dean’s back. Dean felt like it was an electric shock that went through his entire body. 

 

“Okay,” Dean recovered. “I’ll sign up for one and list you guys as roommates. They have to give me one because it’s covered in my scholarships.” 

 

“Wait, so we don’t have to pay for it?” Charlie asked. “Not that I’m trying to use you for money or anything but that would be nice.” 

 

Dean laughed, “no, unfortunately you guys would still have to pay. My aid only covers me.” 

 

“Oh, well that’s fine too,” Charlie said. And then she grabbed Dean and wrapped her arms around him. 

 

“Oh!” Dean said, surprised by her suddenness, but he pulled her close and hugged her back. 

 

“Okay,” Charlie said, stepping back, “I’m going to go eat. See you bitches later.”

 

They waved her off and made their way back to their room. Cas put his arm around Dean’s shoulders once they were inside. It was a little awkward because they were about the same height, with Cas being slightly shorter. “I’m excited for next fall,” Cas said. His face was close to Dean’s because of the angle he had to lean to get his arm around Dean. 

 

“Should be fun,” Dean agreed. “Listen, I’m sorry about earlier. It was stupid, I shouldn’t have-”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” They walked into the room. “I should have told you.” 

 

“I don’t care about the fact that you’re gay Cas. I was talking about being stupid about Charlie.”

 

“I know. I should have told you I wasn’t dating her.” 

 

“I shouldn’t have freaked out. It’s fine if you have a girlfriend- or a boyfriend. It’s none of my business.”

 

“Yeah it is! You’re my best friend and I want you to know what’s going on in my life.” 

 

“Thanks Cas.”

 

“You’re welcome Dean.”

\--------------------------------------

“ _ Assbutt…. assbutt…” _

 

“What the actual fuck Cas?” Dean mumbled, trying to turn over, but Cas was sitting on his legs. 

 

“ _ Assbutt…. _ ”

 

Dean opened his eyes. It was dark in their room. They hadn’t turned on the AC yet so it was a little stuffy. Dean had taken to sleeping shirtless in boxers. It was weird for him to be so uncovered all the time, but as long as just Cas was around, he didn’t mind it. Plus he wasn’t so warm all the time. 

 

“ _ Assbutt… _ ”

 

“Cas, what time is it?”

 

“Two in the morning.” 

 

“You’re fucking insane.” 

 

“Yeah well, you’re an assbutt.”

 

“Get off of me, will you.”

 

“ _ Assbutt… _ ”

 

“Oh my god Cas,” Dean couldn’t help but laugh. He could just make out the silhouette of Cas leaning over him. 

 

“ _ Ass- _ ”

 

Dean grabbed Cas by the shoulders, flipped him over, pinned him down and did the only thing that made sense to him in the situation, tickled him. Cas started squirming and giggling, trying to get out from under Dean, but Dean held him down and relentlessly tickled him. They were wrestling and Cas was strong but Dean was better. Cas’s hands came to rest on Dean’s hips, where his bare skin met his boxers. 

 

_ That feels good,  _ Dean thought.  _ Whoa! Too good!  _ Dean immediately jumped off Cas. 

 

“What?” Cas asked, confused. 

 

“Nothing I just- I, um….”

 

“Dean?”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“Did I do something wrong?”

 

“What? No! I just- You didn’t do anything wrong Cas.” 

 

“Then where’d you go?”

 

“I’m right here.” Cas reached out his hand and Dean took it, sitting next to him on his bed. 

 

“What’s wrong Dean?”

 

“Nothing, Cas.”

 

“Why are you being an assbutt then?”

 

“Oh my god and the fucking assbutts.” 

 

Cas laughed and Dean could feel the huff of breath on his neck. He hadn’t realized how close Cas’s face was to his. He was suddenly really happy about how dark it was in their room. His boxers were doing absolutely nothing to conceal his hardon. 

 

Dean turned and looked at Cas and they were so close, their noses were almost touching. Dean couldn’t see Cas’s blue eyes. Only black. Then Cas turned around and reached for the lamp by the head of Dean’s bed. 

 

“Wait, Cas!”

 

He switched it on and turned back to look at Dean, who was laying his hands strategically in his lap, hoping it would look natural. 

 

“What?” Cas asked.

 

“.... it’s just bright, that’s all.” 

 

Cas chuckled. 

 

“Why’d you wake me up?” Dean asked. 

 

Cas shrugged, “I don’t know. I was bored.”

 

“You were supposed to be sleeping. Finals are coming up, you need rest.”

 

“Yeah, whatever.” Cas leaned over, close to Dean again and put his hand on Dean’s left shoulder.

 

“Cas?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I don’t know…. What do you got there Dean?”

 

“Got where?”

 

Cas’s other hand was sliding down Dean’s lower abdomen. His fingers slipped into Dean’s boxers and brushed his hard dick. Dean took an intake of breath. Cas was looking right at him, his pupils blown wide even though the light was on now. 

 

“Cas,” Dean breathed. 

 

Cas moved slowly, sitting up and turning so that he was facing Dean. Then he positioned himself over him and straddled him. Dean could feel Cas’s cock through his sweatpants. It was hard. 

 

Cas put his hands on either side of Dean’s chest, where his armpits became his sides. His skin was sensitive there and the heat from Cas’s soft hands felt delicious. 

 

Dean couldn’t breath. 

 

“Dean?” Cas said, and Dean could feel his breath on his face. 

 

“Cas,” he responded. Then his hands were moving. He wasn’t telling them to move they just were. Up Cas’s sides, around to his lower back were they were pulling him in closer so that his chest pressed up against Dean’s. 

 

Cas’s hands moved from Dean’s sides to cup his face. Then, slowly, Cas leaned in and kissed him. It was soft and gentle and didn’t last too long. Cas pulled away and looked at Dean, who leaned in and captured Cas’s lips again. This kiss moved quickly, with Dean’s tongue finding its way into Cas’s mouth and exploring, tangling with Cas’s. Cas moaned softly and Dean pushed his hips up gently so that their cocks moved together, pulling a groan from each of them. Cas held on to Dean’s shoulders as Dean wound his arms around Cas’s body, surrounding him and pulling him ever closer. 

 

Then Dean fell backward, pulling Cas with him, so that he was laying down on the bed, his knees bent and his feet falling off. Cas was still on his knees but he was on all fours now, hovering over Dean. Then he dropped his hips, grinding his pelvis into Dean’s so that they both got the friction they wanted. 

 

“Fuck,” Dean moaned and Cas chuckled softly. 

 

Then Cas ducked down, kissing down Dean’s chest, on the thick, white skin there, down to his belly button, where he slipped his fingers under Dean’s boxers and worked them down gently. Dean pulled up his knees so that Cas could get them off over his feet and throw them away into the room. 

 

Dean’s cock was aching, red and hard.  Cas leaned forward and slipped his lips around the head, taking all of the thick cock at once, pushing down until his nose was in the curly, dark hairs at the base. Dean could help but moan loudly. It was amazing, perfect. It felt so good. But Dean could still feel Cas’s boxers with his knees and he wanted more. He wanted all of Cas. 

 

Dean grabbed Cas under his arms and pulled him up so that they were even. “What?” Cas asked, confused. Dean didn’t even answer, he just started pushing at Cas’s underwear. Getting the picture, Cas kicked his boxers off and climbed back up on Dean. Dean moved his hand down and grasped Cas’s fat dick in his hand. Cas’s eyes fluttered and the arm that was propping him up above Dean wobbled. 

 

“Will you fuck me?” Dean whispered, and felt Cas’s cock harden even more from the suggestion. 

 

Cas opened the drawer of the table that the lamp was on and pulled out lube. He rifled around a little more but came up with nothing. “I can’t find condoms,” he said, his voice sounded desperate. 

 

“I’m clean,” Dean said. 

 

“Me too, but, are you sure?”

 

“Cas, fuck me, please.”

 

Cas smiled wickedly and twisted Dean around so that Dean’s head was on his pillow and he was laying on the bed the right way. Crouching between his legs, Cas uncapped the lube and covered his fingers. With his other hand, he took Dean’s leg and propped it up on his shoulder so that he had a better angle. With that, he slid his first finger in between Dean’s cheeks and rubbed the hole there. Dean arched his back, pushing into Cas’s finger. 

 

“Patience,” Cas said.

 

“Cas,” Dean said warningly. 

 

Cas pushed his first finger in. Soon, he added the second, scissoring them to open Dean up wider. “Cas,” Dean moaned. “I know,” Cas whispered, sympathetically. “Just one more.”

 

“Gotta open me up for your big cock, huh, Cas?” 

 

Cas pushed in a third finger, making Dean swear. His dick was burning it was so hard, he didn’t even think he’d last very long. Cas had to hurry it up, so sooner than he would have liked, he coated his dick with lube, lined it up with Dean’s hole and pushed in, slowly, until he bottomed out. 

 

It burned but he couldn’t get enough. He felt so full, so full of Cas. He dropped his leg down from Cas’s shoulder and brought his knees up so that he could wrap his legs around Cas’s stomach. 

 

“I’m good,” Dean said after a minute. 

 

Cas didn’t waste any time. He pulled out roughly, only to sink back in at an angle that perfectly hit that sweet spot inside of Dean. Dean arched, fucking himself back onto Cas’s cock, trying to get him to hit his prostate again. He was having the hardest fucking time being quiet, but the dorm walls were thin and there were people trying to sleep just on the other side. 

 

Cas fucked hard into him, hitting that spot that sent lightening up Dean’s spine almost every time. The bed creaked and shifted a little, with the pase Cas had set up. Dean bit his lip, trying to keep the noises down to a minimum. 

 

Cas, knowing that he wasn’t going to last very much longer, slipped a hand between them and grabbed Dean’s cock, flicking his wrist quickly and twisting up. Dean clawed at Cas’s back, unable to control himself as the ecstasy buit in his stock. 

 

Cas came suddenly. His eyes closing and his mouth falling open into a silent scream. Dean pushed his hips up and down, milking Cas through his orgasm. Cas’s eyes opened and locked onto Dean’s. “Come for me, baby,” Cas said. Dean moaned Cas’s name and came all over his stomach and Cas’s hand. 

 

Cas fell on top of him, pushing his face into Dean’s chest and trying to catch his breath. 

 

“Cas?” Dean asked.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“How long have you… wanted to do this?”

 

“A little bit before the fire alarm. I woke up in the middle of the night because you were talking in your sleep. I thought you might be having a nightmare so I came down but you were fine. I watched you sleep for a little while. You were so beautiful…”

 

Dean felt his whole body flush.

 

“What about you?” Cas asked. 

 

“Since you told Professor Crowley that you should be able to use first person in an essay because of  _ Breakfast of Champions. _ ”

 

“In comp?!”

 

“What can I say? I have a thing for Vonnegut.” 

 

Cas laughed and rolled over so that he was laying on his side next to Dean. Because the bed was so small, Dean was almost falling off so his turned to face Cas. 

 

“Hey Dean, I-um, I-”

 

“You sound like me Mr. Stutter.”

 

“Shut up. I love you!”

 

Dean leaned forward and kissed Cas on the lips, “I love you too.”

 

“Assbutt.”

 

“Jesus, Cas.” 

 

And they laughed until they fell asleep. 

 


End file.
